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March 23 (UPI) -- Prince William paid an unannounced visit to British troops deployed near the Ukrainian border in Poland as part of a two-day trip to the country. The Prince of Wales visited an air defense base near Rzeszow where a coalition of British, Polish and U.S. troops are providing support to Ukrainian forces as he thanked British troops for "defending our freedoms."
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"I just wanted to come out here in person to say thank you for all that you're doing, keeping everyone safe out here and keeping an eye on what's going on," he said.
William also met with Polish Defense Minister Mariusz Blaszczak at the 3rd Brigade Territorial Defense Force base where he spoke to Polish and British troops.
After meeting with soldiers, William visited an accommodation center for refugees in Warsaw "to see the humanitarian response first hand."
On Thursday, William made a visit to the Tomb of the Unknown Solider, which is dedicated to Poland's war dead, and laid a wreath.
The trip was William's first to Poland since 2017 and he said it was "fantastic" to be back in the country.
"I'm here because I want to personally thank the Polish and British troops working in closer and crucial partnership, I also want to pay tribute to the inspiring humanity of the Polish people. You have opened your hearts as much as your homes. That's why this afternoon I visited Rzeszow to meet troops based there to hear their stories and recognize their duty," William said of the visit.
